Michelle Dean

Every year, towards the end of June, the Supreme Court gets a little backed up. Like college kids who hand in their papers at 4:59 p.m. on the day it's due, the Justices like to submit their most complicated, intricate decisions to the public at the very last moment. Which means that next week will be "a mother," as the children say.

They're being especially reticent this year; most of the opinions issued in the last two weeks have been relatively uncontroversial matters. But here, for example, are just some of the rulings that the Court must issue before its term ends June 30th:

1. The two cases known as Hobby Lobby, which could very well invest corporations with religious rights while seriously undermining the Obamacare contraceptive mandate as a special bonus prize;

Today the Supreme Court will hear arguments on a question that sounds insane: "Do corporations …
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2. NLRB v. Noel Canning, a case about the President's recess appointment power that has the potential to seriously upset the balance of power. It could see the Supreme Court seriously limit the President's power to appoint officials at all, since the recess appointment power has been the way Presidents get around Congresses who hate them;

3. Aereo, the copyright case about internet television which is pretty much guaranteed to make everyone mad no matter the result because some people would like cheap internet television and other people believe cheap internet television will kill television;

Today the Supreme Court will hear arguments in American Broadcasting Companies v. Aereo. It is a…
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4. Harris v. Quinn, a case about labor unions that may invalidate one of the fees they typically collect, and which could seriously diminish the ability of labor unions to collectively bargain. Plus, it involves America's Next Great Profession, home health care workers, and the terrible conditions they work under;

5. And in what may be a sort of abortion sandwich allowing the court to make it extra-special-clear that some of their members are indifferent to/ignorant of the female reproductive system, the court will issue an opinion in McCullen v. Coakley, which concerns the size of buffer zones around abortion clinics.

At least we'll all be able to work out our anger issues before the summer properly gets underway.